Hoax warning: fake Telstra PDF email bills

Question

We’ve recently become aware of a hoax notification email notifying customers their PDF and/or online bill is now available. It may also request additional information about your account be sent through.
What should I look out for?
- If there is no name on the letter (as in it is not addressed to you personally it just says Dear...then is blank) then it is a fake. DO NOT OPEN.
- Check the account number written in the email matches with an account number on a previous Telstra bill. Your account number should always remain the same. If the number looks different then it is a fake. DO NOT OPEN.
- If it asks you for any specific account details or personal information it is a fake. Telstra never asks for these details via email. DO NOT OPEN OR DISCLOSE ANY PERSONAL OR ACCOUNT DETAILS.
If you are unsure about an email you receive, go to Telstra.com and log in to My Account and check what you have been emailed against information within My Account – make sure the information matches. DO NOT USE THE LINKS PROVIDED IN THE EMAIL.
Additional information:
What do I do if I receive a suspicious email?
Do not reply to it
Do not open any attachment or click on any embedded links
Do report it using the BigPond's Misuse form
Do delete  the email from your system
How can you protect yourself?
Beware of any email requests for sensitive information
Don't click on any links or visit any sites provided by senders you don't know or trust
Protect yourself by typing the address of any trusted websites in to your browser yourself, rather than clicking the link
Never respond to requests for personal information in an unexpected email or pop-up window.
If in doubt, always contact the institution that the sender (or pop-up) claims to represent 
Use a spam filter to help block unsolicited and unwanted email
Tips to keep yourself protected -
Visit BigPond.com to find out more about what you can do to stay protected: 
http://support.telstra.com.au/t5/Security/What-is-malware-and-what-damage-can-it-do/ta-p/398509
What If your computer is already infected -
Visit http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au to find out what you can do if you suspect your computer has been been inffected.
 

Answer 1

Just received an email that looked like the usual monthly emails I get from Telstra re direct debiting my acccount. However, there was no PDF attachment. The account number was also wrong. The date of the debit was also wrong. None of the links in the email had any identifiable telstra striings, just an unfamiliar website. BTW, my malware app (McAfee) shows hidden weblinks like the above if I hover the mouse over a "button" in an email. It is a very useful feature if you are suspicious of an email. That weblink takes you to a genuine-looking webpage for you to fill in credit card etc payment details. Obviously an attempt to get credit card info. Fortunately it seems to be just a phishing attempt and no malware seems to be installed. I did scans with McAfee, MalwareBytes AntiMalware and SuperAntiSpyWare & all showed my system was clean. I sent the detaills & full email header to theTelstra report hoax emails webpage. BTW, I have also received "Telstra" emails saying that my account has been temporarily blocked because of a suspicious attempt to access the account from another computer & to click on a link to restore the account. They are also fakes, possibly to recruit computers to botnets. The particular emails I got seemed to have hijacked a UK airconditioning company to send them. Hope this is useful.